Every household should have a copy of Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper. Yes, there is a chapter on Christmas, which is very good and helpful. But I recommend it for other reasons.
Our cancer period had days when it was hard to pray with the children over something as simple as meals. So we borrowed the Piper’s mealtime prayers, memorizing them for ourselves and for the sake of the children:
Prayer for the midday meal We’re grateful, Father, for this hour To rest and draw upon your power, Which you have shown in sun and rain And measured out to every grain. Let all this food which you have made And graciously before us laid Restore our strength for these next hours That you may have our fullest powers. (p. 47)You can read it online at the link above, or buy a copy here.
The Works of God 
A Time When Courts Valued Human Life
Posted in commentary on December 7, 2009| 1 Comment »
In 1964 a woman contracted rubella while pregnant. Her child was born with significant disabilities. The parents of that child sued the doctor, alleging both ‘wrongful birth’ and ‘wrongful life’ based on what they alleged was the doctor’s negligence. In other words, if they had known more, they would have aborted their child and now the doctor needed to pay.
The court rejected the parents’ arguments and concluded:
Indeed.
Known as Gleitman v. Cosgrove, it continues to be an influential part of the law, but unfortunately not a decisive part. Click here for a good description of ‘wrongful birth’ and ‘wrongful life’ court actions, from the Harvard Civil Rights – Civil Liberties Law Review.
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